


The Hardest Game Never Downloaded

by Devin_Trinidad



Category: Akudama Drive (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen, jelly drinks, slight character introspection, something I've been thinking about since viewing episode 11, what if Hacker decided to break out Courier and Swindler one by one instead of together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28628631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devin_Trinidad/pseuds/Devin_Trinidad
Summary: Breaking Courier and Swindler out of the Kanto supercomputer would have been too easy. Seriously? A coin?Hacker wants to challenge himself.So why not break them out individually?
Relationships: Ordinary | Swindler (Akudama Drive) & Hacker (Akudama Drive), Ordinary | Swindler (Akudama Drive) and Hacker (Akudama Drive), Ordinary | Swindler (Akudama Drive)/Hacker (Akudama Drive)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 18





	1. Black Hat

For quite some time now, he had lost the appetite to consume simple foods. Where was the fun in simply keeping the body healthy just to undergo the same treatment for at least three times a day everyday? It was just so tiresome and boring. There was nothing fun about filling up on food. 

It was rare that he ate and when he did, he did so sparingly and with food that he actually liked. It didn’t matter if he ate things like sweet jellies or simple foods that could be taken straight out of a can, he was simply subsisting from what was necessary. 

He didn’t need to do more than what was essential because what his life needed— _ wanted, craved _ —it was the thrill of the game. 

It was because of this logic that had stunted his growth and had kept his body quite thin and small. Despite any health concerns that those who would have claimed to be concerned for him, he didn’t care. He prized his intelligence over any physicality that he could have possibly possessed. 

(Back when he had a body, he had thought that he was still young enough to go through another growth spurt… and if that didn’t happen, then it didn’t happen). 

Well, finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination were probably the only areas that he had strived to perfect over the years, but other than that… It was just plain boring to him. 

And so, as he gazed upon two  _ very  _ familiar individuals inside the Kanto supercomputer’s simulation meant to corrupt the minds of the unsuspecting, he felt something come to life within him. 

A part of him, one that had been idly keeping tabs on his drone that he had gifted the Swindler, knew that they were going to come back, but he hadn’t expected the Swindler to come back with the Courier of all people. Last he had checked, Courier was known to be motivated by base desires such as monetary compensation. To see that Courier accompanied Swindler… it was interesting and if he had a background in psychology, perhaps he would have been more invested in such a development in their relationship, but he brushed it aside. 

When both of his fellow Akudama had entered the goddess of Kansai, they had fallen unconscious. It was laughable to see that those two, with capabilities and abilities that far outweighed the average bystander, could be overcome into being processed into the simulation, but it was understandable.

Had he still a physical being, perhaps he, too, would have been tricked— _ perhaps swindled? _ —into becoming one with the program. As it was, though, he still had his mental faculties about him and his aforementioned dexterity with his hands.

Getting them to wake up…

That would be fun, right?

Challenging even—at least, to a certain extent. 

Honestly, he was more willing to take Swindler out of the simulation (he was not as close to Courier), but something told him that she would be… somewhat irritated with him if he had neglected to try for Courier. 

It was child’s play to take a glance into their lives and what sort of connections could be made. 

He scoffed as he input a series of commands and intricate codes, all at the behest of his nimble fingers and his lightning quick thinking. 

Huh, a coin. 

Really? Such a trivial little thing, but one that held a lot of significance to the both of them. 

For Swindler, it represented a part of her that resembled that of a regular, kindhearted civilian… very unlike that of the Akudama if he were being honest. 

For Courier… He’s not a naturally empathic person—he will definitely be the first to admit that—but even he knows what loss feels like. That coin… it must be very important to him if he shaped some sort of baseless superstition onto such an object.

(Then again, many of the Kansai region believed that the  _ Shinkansen _ was a deity, so perhaps it was more of a cultural thing to believe in such things). 

As he put two and two together and began to program the simulation again for what felt like the dozenth time, his fingers stilled and his brow twitched. It was just… It was too easy. 

A coin of all things? 

To anyone else, such a connection would have been impossible to make, especially since their shared mission had only occurred a few days ago, but to him… It only took a split second of memory of Swindler saying that she had met Courier at a  _ takoyaki  _ stand in such a bewildered tone of voice that could have meant that they had met only moments prior to their meeting at Cutthroat’s execution. 

Logic dictated that he rewind to their brief interaction. 

It was puzzling at first, but he paid it no mind.

He had gotten what he had came for, but… This game that Kanto had set up for him… It was far too easy. 

A coin?

Wouldn’t it be… much more fun if he were to get Courier and Swindler out of the simulation individually? Courier would definitely be easier seeing that he already had a hint of his past misdeeds and memories that he had happened to glance at.

(There was also that one time a couple years ago, when out of curiosity, he had managed to hack into the Executioner’s database and managed to find information on many Akudama. He even managed to find Courier’s real name). 

Swindler was another story entirely. 

Would it not be far more rewarding to see who she really was underneath that admittedly cute and innocent facade that she put up? Never mind the fact that he had the slightest inkling that her acting was  _ genuine _ , which was simply unheard of in the world of Akudama. 

Regardless, it would make for a more interesting game. 

And he  _ loved  _ games. 

His fingers began to fly over the keyboard that floated above the heads of his drones.

This… this better be fun. 

* * *

Working at the Seal Center was rewarding, yet draining at the same time. She had been working for hours covering for one of her friends and with only half an hour on the clock, she was hoping to get home on time. 

Thoughts about what to make for dinner idly crossed her mind as she began processing a request for a replacement seal for an elderly woman. Much to her surprise, the processing of the form went quicker than anticipated, which satisfied the client and filled her with contentment. Although her job was droll at times, there were circumstances where the young woman found that she was still doing her best to provide for her fellow citizens. 

As she waved the elderly woman goodbye, the young woman glanced at the clock and frowned. While time had definitely passed, there was still a little over twenty minutes to spare. Already, the occupants within the Seal Center were disembarking. Civilians were becoming a rarer sight and her fellow employees were either playing on their phones or staring listlessly into space. 

As for the young woman, she merely drummed her fingers up and down her assigned desk. She beat out a rhythm that only she knew—it was a tune from an old broadcast meant for children. It went off air several years ago and her memory of the lyrics were fuzzy at best, but the melody remained the same. 

_ One. _

_ Two. _

_ A beat. _

_ And a rapid thrumming.  _

After she finished through what she assumed to be the first verse of the song, she glanced up at the clock and felt her entire body diminish at the sight. Geeze, she couldn’t help but sigh to herself. It seemed like time was stretching out into a meaningless, expanding plane of existence. There was no reason why time couldn’t go faster, could it? 

If her math was correct, she still had at least eighteen more minutes left and that was if another client didn’t come in at the last minute and demanded to get serviced. She shuddered at the thought. Those who came in the earliest or the latest were always the people she found either the pushiest or the most annoying. Her fingers began to pick up a new beat upon her desk, this time from a random song that had been picking up traction on a few radio stations. 

So focused she was on trying to imitate the sound of an insane guitar riff, she didn’t quite notice that the window in front of her desk was occupied by what appeared to be a young teenage boy. He was fairly short, possibly shorter than her, and he was dressed all in blue. Atop his head of blond curls, a blue cap rested and there was some sort of cybernetic embellishment over his left eye. 

He looked familiar, but the young woman didn’t know how that was possible. His features were particularly distinct… His ice blue eyes beheld a look of mild curiosity and disinterest while his lips curved up into a slight smirk as he looked at her. The more the young woman stared, the more she realized that it seemed like he was appraising her…

As if he knew her. 

Was he a client? 

With such a distinct appearance, she would have thought that she would have been able to recognize him, but… There was something more to this sudden appearance of this person. 

But what was it?

“Hello, how may I help you?” Despite her misgivings, she managed to deliver her line without so much as a stutter. Inwardly congratulating herself for such an accomplishment, she found herself somewhat nonplussed when the boy from the other side of the glass chuckled. 

“You know, I would assume that being such a good swindler would make you more adept at dealing with foreign circumstances. Then again—“ His ice blue eyes bore deep into her own, a sudden stab of  _ something  _ slid deep into her soul and she suddenly felt… threatened. “—you were never too good at keeping your emotions level.” The boy shrugged. “Then again, for all I know, you could just be a really good actress who happens to play the role of a kind hearted civilian.”

The young woman, not sure how to respond, glanced nervously back at the clock and then back to her unusual client. His words sparked something deep underneath the surface of her consciousness—a  _ something  _ that told her, no, urged her, not to delve into. At the mercy of such thoughts, the young woman merely squared her shoulders and began to recite one of the lines force fed to her in the case of a client becoming rowdy. 

“Look, if you’re not here to request a replacement for a new seal, terminate an account, or—“

The boy waved his hand, his face betraying a look of disdain. The young woman felt like this expression on his face was somewhat natural, expected even. However, that didn’t stop the faint flush of anger to rise upon her dainty, fair skin. After spending a fair amount of time at the Seal Center, she had become more than accustomed to dealing with wayward customers. 

She could handle this like a professional. 

“Yes?” She began, a little unsure when she realized that the young teenager hadn’t said a thing yet. He was still staring at her with those cold blue eyes of his, something flickering before quickly sputtering out before he leaned in towards the glass, as if trying to get a better read on her.

He hummed, a finger tapping at his chin before a crooked grin settled onto his face. That expression, while somewhat better than his previous expression of cold disdain, did little to comfort the woman.

This time, it felt like she had done something to grab his attention. That was in and of itself bad, but why?

“I think I know why you’re a swindler now. Your acting skills are really quite good.” He took in her golden uniform, of the way her hands grasped at the hem. Something clicked and she realized that maybe she was wrong.

Perhaps she didn’t know him.

But he obviously knew her.

“A-acting? What do you mean by that? I’m just a normal everyday worker here at the—“ Just as she was about to finish, one of her coworkers patted her on the shoulder, a sympathetic look on her face. “S-sorry for being too noisy! Is there…”

Her fellow worker cast a sympathetic glance at what she could only assume was an unruly client before pointing at the clock. The digital reading announced that it was a few minutes past the ending of her shift—a fact that made the young woman breathe out a sigh of relief. 

She was wondering when her schedule was about to come to an end. With a nod to the other woman, she faced the client again and began to explain that if he wanted, she could get someone to service his needs, but he declined. 

“I’m only interested in information coming from you.” 

Even if the young boy didn’t mean to make it sound like a flirtatious comment, the young woman couldn’t help but bring her hands to her cheeks. 

“Y-you… You can’t just say things like that!”

That little smirk of his returned upon his face. 

It felt… familiar. Friendly, almost. 

It irked her to know that this stranger had this sort of effect on her even though she was pretty sure that this was the first time they had met. 

No matter.

It wasn’t like she was going to meet up with that guy again. He seemed a bit too blunt and weird for her taste. 

As she finally made her way out of the Seal Center, she found herself glancing at her phone, an easygoing smile on her face. 

“A little bit past five!” She pumped her fist into the air and hummed gently to herself. “If I can manage to get out this early again for the rest of my life, I’ll be set! Now, what should I get for dinner?” Just as images of piping hot meals filled her mind, she began all too aware of a presence at her back. 

Now, Kansai was a fairly crowded region, but being followed was something that many of the civilians would not take lightly. There was a high rate of crime always present and with the Akudamas… Well, it simply wouldn’t be something that one would brush off as a simple coincidence. 

She happened to glance behind her and—

“Dinner sounds boring if I’m being honest. Why not get straight to the dessert?”

Icy blue eyes stared into her own dark violet eyes. 

The young woman sucked in a deep breath.

Closed her eyes.

And then—

“Who the heck are you and why are you following me???” 

  
  



	2. Grey Hat

Games were supposed to be challenging. Puzzles that couldn’t remain unsolved for an adequate amount of time or codes that could be deciphered near instantly were far beneath his capabilities. Ever since he was little, he had pushed his intelligence to its limits, his fingers and coordination following soon after. 

Solving puzzles and finding answers to riddles granted him the sort of happiness that he found near elusive. The high of knowing that he had managed to render common everyday games to nothing more than their solutions had become harder and harder to attain. Games evolved from the mundane gaming websites that he used to frequent until he upgraded to banks, government centers, and even archives of information. 

Name it and he had probably broken into it. 

Now, faced with Swindler, he found that this was a game that he wasn’t sure that he liked. True, he appreciated the challenging aspect of it: that is, he liked the challenge of getting her out by his interference with the simulation instead of inducing a changed scenario with the Courier. No matter how much faster it would have been, he wasn’t always the most pragmatic.

Was he a hedonist? Perhaps… After all, he had been the one to continue to Kanto despite the threats of the Decontamination Zone. 

Anyway, as he stared up at the Swindler, he found himself biting back a smirk. It had been a while since he had partaken in a prank and the expression on Swindler’s face more than made up for the boredom he had been experiencing as of late. The flush on her cheeks, the way she sputtered and tried to give him reasons to leave her alone… 

He felt his lips curl in what he hoped wasn’t a genuine smile. 

She was so…  _ entertaining.  _

“—and that’s why if you don’t cease and desist I’ll really call the cops on you and then we’ll see who’s laughing when—“

“I’ll pay.”

The young woman looked down at the young boy, her eyes going through a series of emotions that had more than its fair share of entertainment for him. If he followed along, he could clearly see astonishment, confusion, giddiness, and what was most surprising, embarrassment.

“I, er… I’m so sorry! We just met and you’re a little too young for me,  _ young man! _ ” 

Here, she tried to stare at him with a look that bordered on austerity, but it did little to phase him. Well… actually, it did tickle him a little to know that she was definitely reacting in a way that made him feel proud that he made her act that way. 

He allowed himself a small laugh.  _ Young man _ , what a riot. 

“And-and-and—You can’t just stalk someone from their place of work and then just ask that!” 

She threw her hands up in the air, not really caring that she was probably attracting the attention of most of the passing populace. Normally, the young teenager would have been more concerned of getting caught by the police, but it was still a dream simulation within a supercomputer. It felt… freeing.

He shrugged before twirling a seal within his fingers. A  _ very  _ familiar seal that immediately caught onto her attention when he brought close to her face.

“Fine then. Since you have some qualms about my paying for dinner, I suppose that you’re going to be the one paying. This—“ He pointed at the seal within his long, spindly fingers. “— _ is  _ yours, is it not?”

Swindler’s fists clenched at her sides, her teeth biting into her lower lip as she stared him down. Finally, when it seemed like she was about to do something drastic (which would definitely end up being a spanner in the works, but definitely a new obstacle that he would enthusiastically solve), she then deflated and jerked her head in the direction towards a series of vendors and shops.

At that, Hacker bit the inside of his cheek so the young woman didn’t have to see his gloating face. 

“Do you make it a habit of preying on young women just so that you can get a free meal?”

“Nope!” Although he stared ahead of him as they walked in tandem with each other, he glanced at her in his periphery, readying the continuation of his response. “Just you.”

The young woman may have rolled her eyes, but the flush on her cheeks was definitely there. 

He hadn’t noticed it before, but pink, despite how it dominated her color palette, simply suited her. 

But, as he continued to think privately to himself, remembering how she and Courier had collapsed once reaching the inside of the  _ Shinkansen _ , blue also suited her as well. 

How  _ interesting.  _

As they walked, he found himself stealing sidelong glances at the young woman. Swindler… Swindler was definitely the same person that had been unceremoniously added into the heist of the  _ Shinkansen _ , yet… There was something off about her.

Almost as if there was something missing. 

Although they had briefly worked together (alongside the other Akudama), he had thought that he had gotten a good grasp on her character. What he saw was a relatively harmless young woman. At first, he had thought that her working at the Seal Center was probably akin to some sort of undercover job, but something didn’t add up. Something was off, but he didn’t know what. 

“How’d you do it?’

“Hmm?” 

Swindler took a deep breath, almost as if she were steadying herself from saying or doing something completely unnecessary and out of place for someone walking the backstreets of Kansai with an Akudama. 

She growled a little to herself, clearly annoyed. “How’d you pickpocket me?”

He sent her a smirk that clearly conveyed just how much he was not going to answer her. Besides, would she really believe that her brain and her body were actually becoming one with the simulation that was part of the Decontamination Zone? And that he still retained his sentience despite losing his physical body? And that it was only because of his hacking skills that he managed to manipulate reality into getting a hold of her seal?

Fun fact: He was willing to bet that the instant those words left his mouth, she would run screaming for either the police or the number of a mental health ward. 

Whatever the case, while this would surely tip her off that something wasn’t right with this path of reality (which would undoubtedly awaken her into the correct plane of existence), that would be too easy. 

And he definitely did not want to make this game easy. 

Unsteadied by the silence, Swindler jutted her chin forward and resolutely tried her hardest to ignore the teenager that continued to walk by her side. 

“Fine then. Keep your secrets.”

“Gladly.”

This time, when the Swindler happened to glance back at him, he returned the favor by staring at her with the force and intensity of a million burning suns. 

She flushed and turned away. 

* * *

The young woman’s mind was in a whirl as she tried to understand how she got into this situation. First, the weird interaction at the Seal Center. Now, that same kid who had harassed her at her also happened to pickpocket her! She signed out from the Center with her seal and she remembered that she put it back in her pocket for safekeeping. There was no way that she couldn’t have sensed the presence of her stalker without feeling something. 

He didn’t seem the type to steal, but then again.

Appearances were deceiving. 

Just who was this kid? 

All too soon, as she thought about gaining the courage to ask, the young woman finally came across a little side street where she saw a  _ takoyaki  _ stand. Hmm, although she was more than irked at the situation, she felt the stress from the past half hour or so melt from her shoulders as she began to approach her destination. 

Like her, a young man stood in front of the stand, his bored eyes never leaving the contents of the vendor’s shop. However, just as she was about to head in that direction, she felt a hand grasp her shoulder.

This kid, she couldn’t help but think with just a touch of resentment.

“You want me to treat you to dinner? Well, what about—“

“Did you even look at the sign?”

The woman looked a little lost at first. What was the kid talking about? However, as she neared the stand, she began to realize that there was a little placard that stated that the vendor would only be taking cash rather than seal. Sighing a little to herself, the young woman began patting down her pockets and when that proved a fruitless endeavor, she turned to her light blue backpack. However, the more she rustled through the contents, the more she realized the inevitable.

Other than the seal that rested with her surprise stalker, there was no other money she had to her name. 

She was literally walking penniless.

Geeze, did the kid also happen to take all of her change as well?

“Are you going to order, dearie,” the vendor asked with slight derision, “or are you going to stare at the sign all night?” 

In what appeared to be a threatening motion, the  _ takoyaki _ vendor waved a spoon in front of the young woman’s face. Luckily for her, the young woman managed to step back with a gracious smile—albeit, one with a nervous twinge to it. 

She scratched the back of her head and said, with a glance behind her, “Sorry for that, ma’am! My friend and I were just…” She paused for a millisecond before coming up with what appeared to be a viable excuse. “We were just figuring out what we wanted to eat! Pleasure doing business with you, bye!”

Before the elderly  _ takoyaki _ vendor could say anything, the young woman pulled on the teeager’s wrist and began to haul him out onto another street. Here, there were a variety of stores and cafes that could easily fit their needs.

As they slowed down from a sprint to a stroll, the blond coudn’t help but remark, “You didn’t even do business with that old lady.”

The young woman’s eyes widened in confusion.

“W-what?”

“That old lady?” The blond gestured with his hand as he pointed behind them. “You said ‘pleasure doing business with you’ even though—”

The young woman waved away the rest of his words, embarrassment already clouding her features with a dusky pink hue. 

“Never mind that.” She sighed, let go of the teenager’s wrist, and began walking aimlessly in whatever direction she chose. 

It was at that moment, as the young blond hurried after her in the same apathetic manner that he usually had adorning his features, she caught sight of a rundown eatery that she often frequented whenever she got off work early. Amazed at the good fortune, she hurried forth, not really minding that her charge was muttering insults behind her back and that she should be more considerate of her surroundings. 

* * *

The young teenager poked a bit at his food, his eyes scrutinizing the meal in front of him. Although they had opted to go to a restaurant of the young woman’s choosing, that didn’t necessarily mean that she had chosen well. While piping hot, the aroma of whatever dish he had ordered was somewhat pungent and the overall presentation left well to be desired.

“You would think that after treating you out, you’d be more grateful,” she couldn’t help but mutter. Her food, while not as appetizing as was advertised on one of the posters outside, was somewhat palatable to her tastes. Of course, it had helped that she had dined in this establishment many times in the past whenever she didn’t feel like cooking. 

“You would think that holding your seal hostage would encourage you to find a better restaurant, but I suppose that’s not the case.” The young blond picked a little at the mishmash of his meal, careful not to reveal whatever heinous thing was hidden inside. His nose wrinkled and, in an attempt to stave off the inevitable, he leaned his chin into his palm and stared at the young woman intently. 

His attention, for a moment, went unnoticed as the young woman devoured her meal with precise, but large bites. Her eyes were round in subdued delight, but the curve of her mouth was trailing downwards, as if the taste was spoiled by his presence. 

He couldn’t exactly blame her. 

Bad food was made worse when accompanied by unpleasant company. 

He shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts.

“Don’t worry, I’m not keeping your seal,” he uttered in reassurance. He leaned back against the cheap upholstery of his seat and stretched his arms behind his head. Training his eyes to the ceiling he casually ignored the way the young woman looked to him in what appeared to be hesitant relief. 

Like her counterpart in real life, she was naive. 

A trait that Akudama didn’t regularly have—Brawler being the other exception to the rule. 

It was interesting. Another puzzle piece amid the myriad of disjointed pieces that made up the Swindler. 

“I’m just wondering what an Akudama such as yourself would allow yourself to get swindled so easily. Isn’t that your job?” He had wanted to strike a nerve, probably just as a gauge to see how well she would respond to such a barb. How she reacted from before seemed too natural to be true. 

Now, he was aiming for her reputation as an Akudama. 

For the first time ever since he found himself sucked into the world of the Kanto supercomputer, he found himself utterly dumbfounded. 

It was only four words, but four words were all he needed to hear to see that the puzzle pieces he was steadily arranging had become scattered, in a disarray. 

“I’m not an Akudama.” 

* * *

The teenage blond knew that there were a variety of ways that the Swindler could have chosen to answer and this was definitely a possibility. However, the way she said it... it seemed so genuine. Honest. Swindler always appeared to have some trouble with lying, even when they were planning for the mission. When they had assigned her to be the main person to swindle the main guard, he had suspicions that she would fail. 

But she didn’t. 

Then again, he didn’t know how well she reacted to being on the job. For all he knew, this was just another way of lying: by looking completely and utterly honest. 

It was something different. 

Something that he hadn’t accounted for. 

As he watched, Swindler swallowed the last of her meal, her expression contemplative. She always had the look on her face, the teenager realized, whenever she was processing information or coming to conclusions. 

“Are you...” She swallowed, as if embarrassed by the next question that was to come from her mouth. Still, she persevered, even if her voice was a tad more disbelieving and wobbly to be anything but true. “Are you saying that you’re an Akudama?”

There were a handful of ways that he could answer, but most of them ended up with less than stellar endings. For one, perhaps Swindler was playing the act of a normal civilian straight. Perhaps she was never an Akudama in the first place—like what he and the other of their coworkers had previously thought. On the other hand, this could simply just be all a ruse and Swindler was playing him for a fool. Honestly, didn’t she say that she hacked her way into the Seal Center and that’s why all information about her was gone?

But—

During their short time together, she seemed to think hacking was the key to everything. As if she thought it was the magic cure all to their problems. At first, it seemed like she was merely playing with him, trying to get him to let down his guard for no obvious reason, but the more he began to look into her motivations, it all fell flat. 

Swindler seemed pretty straightforward. 

Honest, too. 

But why?

Diplomatically, he placed his chopsticks onto the edges of his bowl. His eyes, calm and serene as always, surveyed her. 

“And what if I am?”

  
  
  
  



	3. White Hat

Hacker may not always have been the nicest person around, but he had made sure not to delve too far into the memories of his coworkers. He may have gotten glimpses of Courier’s past memories, but he had reined in enough control not to see past Swindler’s past interaction with Courier (and that stupid coin). He had seen and verified that Swindler had managed to work at the Seal Center, but other than that, there was not much that he knew about her.

And what he did know about her…

He wasn’t all too sure that he actually knew her.

Well, if one is to solve a question, they must simply levy a barrage of answers unless one proves true. Although trial and error wasn’t his method to solve most problems, it appears that he would have to employ it in order to enjoy some sort of result.

There was also the problem of how to wake her up from the simulation…

Hacker almost smiled from the problems that were quickly mounting against him.

This is what he wanted: a proper challenge.

Swindler looked up from her now empty bowl. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes were flitting from the rest of the customers, to the exit, and then back to him. 

Strange, he thought to himself. It seemed like this young woman was always one to think about others than herself. To see such a sight, it struck a chord within him. She was so kind. If she were truly an Akudama, she didn’t have to keep up the act, but caught off guard like this…

How could she be anything other than genuine?

However, it still begged the question: how was she going to respond to his confession?

She paused, almost as if she were about to say one thing, but then decided to say one other thing. He watched as her eyes roamed around the rest of the patrons of the small restaurant, probably wondering if they were also Akudama like him or if there was some way that he was somewhat interested in them. Perhaps she was even thinking if he wanted to do something dangerous or illegal in front of the other customers. 

Interesting. 

Even with her life on the line (if he was even that sort of dangerous criminal), she was still thinking about others. 

Very interesting. 

As Hacker stored the information away in his brain for further dissection, the young woman finally spoke. 

She slowly placed her hands onto her lap and looked at him hard in the eyes. “Even if you are an Akudama, I am not afraid of you.” 

Her voice, thankfully, lacked the overreactions that she usually employed in their past interactions—and any interactions that he had observed with the others. For some odd reason, it was gratifying to see such a mature reaction from her. Sure, it was a serious thing concerning a topic that he would normally not engage in, but this was a progression towards… something.

Whether it be a confession to her actual status (civilian or Akudama), Hacker wasn’t all too sure, but he was certain that he was going to be learning something about her. Something integral to only just her. 

It made him proud that he prodded such a reaction from her.

A twinge of sadness also overcame him before he pushed it down into the deepest depths of his soul. If only, he thought, if only he had talked to her more before he left for Kanto. Perhaps he would have more memories to treasure. However, there was no need to dwell on the past.

Given the circumstances pertaining to the simulation and his god status in this virtual world, he could spend as much time as he wanted.

It was a thought that he hadn’t given much time to. 

At first, he thought of her as something that must be solved, but now… She was really interesting and the prospect of talking with her, interacting with her… 

He wasn’t as bored as he thought he would be.

“Oh?” He leaned his chin into the palm of his hand and regarded her cooly. Even though his face was as expressionless as ever, he was practically giddy. So many variables, so many outcomes. How was she going to react? “And why is that?”

The young woman’s breathing quickened, as if she were caught in a lie. It was a habit that he had noticed quite early on in their involvement with the Black Cat and the  _ Shinkansen.  _ For someone who was supposed to be the great Swindler, she had a few tells that could easily out her. 

Then again, Hacker wouldn’t blame her. Before had become an Akudama, he had been somewhat wary of them. It wasn’t until his hobbies had started to impede into the blurred lines of legality that he realized something that should have been obvious from the start:

That is, to say, Akudama was simply a label and nothing more. Anyone could be an Akudama. 

And this young woman, believe it or not, could easily become one if she wasn’t careful. 

Of course, if she wasn’t one already.

“Because even if you are an Akudama,” she said slowly, as if trying to placate a wild animal, “you’re very…” She paused, as if trying to find the perfect word to say. After a second (a second in which Hacker was getting all the more curious), the woman finally said, “You’re so normal!”

That. That was something that the young teen didn’t think that she was going to say. He blinked owlishly at her, the disgusting display of food on his plate fully being banished from his mind as he tried to fathom what she said. 

Out of all the things that she could have said… that was the thing that came to mind? He didn’t know what to say… How to react... 

Normal? 

The expression of disbelief must have been more than apparent on his face because, despite the serious situation at hand, the young woman laughed behind the cover of her hand, her eyes twinkling with childlike humor. Feeling somewhat embarrassed by his reaction and her subsequent laughter, he tried looking away from her. 

Still… it felt nice to just… talk. 

“Then, by all rights, you are downright insane,” he muttered to himself. Hacker once again started to finish the last of his meal, even though there was still a gigantic mountain of it still piled onto his plate. However, despite the fact that he was hungry (or as hungry as he could be as an active participant in the simulation), he still found himself only nibbling only the barest bits of his ‘meal’.

As he chewed, he found that instead of looking away from him, the young woman kept his gaze. However, that wasn’t what caught his attention. No, instead, he found that there was a slight curve to her lips, a twinkle in her eyes. She was amused, but he didn’t know why.

Confused, he sent a questioning gaze her way.

Her smile widened. “You say that I’m insane, but have you thought about what you’re eating?” She cast a disgusted look at his plate, which only served to make him feel somewhat abashed under her gaze. 

“And what is that?”

The young woman’s smile became even more wider, like the cat that got the cream. 

Hacker felt the flesh on his neck become even more sensitive. 

He wasn’t going to like what she was going to say next, was she?

“You’ve basically eaten the worst thing in the restaurant. No wonder you can’t even finish such a simple meal!”

Hacker scowled. He should have known better than to follow her words of advice concerning what he should have ordered. 

Suddenly, his scowl manifested itself into a dark grin. It was then that he reached into his pocket and pulled out one specific item.

“Then I suppose you won’t object to me buying something else to sate my needs?”

* * *

The Seal Center paid well, but it wasn’t some sort of grandiose salary. After having lived in the middle ring of Kansai all her life, she knew that her living condition was precarious. One wrong move, one wrong word, and she could easily say goodbye to her somewhat comfortable lifestyle. Despite this, she found herself relaxing when she was within the young Akudama’s presence. Like she said, he was more normal than what she thought Akudamas were supposed to be. 

When she thought of Akudama, she had honestly thought that they were terrible, crime addicted individuals. She didn’t see that when confronted with the young teen. The thought occurred to her that maybe he wasn’t an Akudama, but she quickly shoved that thought aside. 

To admit that one was an Akudama… that was already a heavy tell that he was one himself. Even if he wasn’t, she was sure to make sure to leave him the benefit of the doubt. It also didn’t help that he had somehow still managed to steal her seal. Whatever the case, she didn’t quite mind that he was seriously considering using more of her hard earned money just so that he could get back at her.

Unbidden, a laugh left her lips and she could have sworn that there was a hint of darkening in his cheeks. Behind the glass of water, she smiled. 

For an Akudama, he was just too adorable!

“Whatever,” he finally muttered to himself. He picked up his utensils and continued to stab and attack his meal. “I’ll just finish this and splurge on something else.”

She raised a brow.

Was she hearing this right?

“Are you seriously throwing away the chance of getting a better meal?”

The young man shrugged, his eyes apathetic as always. 

“I didn’t say that I was throwing away a meal. Besides, dessert almost always tastes better after something so mundane and tasteless as this.”

Her eyes widened. 

“You don’t mean—“

* * *

The young woman sighed aloud as she leaned against a nearby building. Beside her, the hulking rectangular figure of a vending machine stood tall and proud against the haze of night. Across the streets, pedestrians and regular passersby either loitered on the side of the streets or passed in front of several buildings. 

None of them had spared her or her companion a glance. 

As she leaned against the side of the building, she watched as the young teen pondered over his options. It was almost comical to watch. His nose was scrunched up and he tapped his pointer finger against the flat of his chin. Despite her obvious amusement, he paid her no attention. Instead, most of his focus was directed at a series of jelly drinks and packets. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that he was eagerly debating between two specific brands—both of which were highly sought out by the general public.

“I had no idea that you were so picky about your desserts, Mr. Akudama,” the young woman couldn’t help but giggle. 

The blond sent her an unimpressed look. “Mr. Akudama? Just call me Hacker.”

A sense of  _ something _ —familiarity?—filled her at that statement, but she brushed that feeling aside. As of the moment, she was too engrossed in Hacker’s final decision. It was somewhat nerve-racking just to see him catalogue the pros and cons of which jelly drink he truly wanted. If she wasn’t careful, she would end up placing bets on whether he wanted the jelly drink at his left or the jelly drink at his right. 

“All right, Hacker! I didn’t know that you were so particular about your jelly drinks.”

Hacker continued to stare at the glass covers of the vending machine, but the young woman could definitely see the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks. My, was he embarrassed? Well, she couldn’t quite blame him. If she was in the same scenario as he, she would have definitely picked the jelly drink from the right almost immediately. Just how hard it must have been to choose between two delightful drinks was definitely something that could certainly relate from past experiences. 

She sighed and pushed off the side of the building and began to poke his left shoulder, not really caring about Hacker’s sudden squawk of indignation. 

“Have you considered getting both, Hacker?”

His eyes, already so blue and bright, had become somewhat brighter. 

“You mean—?”

The young woman shrugged. “Why not? You’ve already taken my seal and while that’s a bad thing, you haven’t nearly put a dent into my bank account. Not necessarily a saintly thing to do, but you could have easily done worse.”

The young woman wasn’t a mind reader, but she had enough experience with working with irritable people and everything in between to know when her sound argument had easily others over. It was clear from the way he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes to the way the line of his shoulders had relaxed somewhat from their tense posture that he was taking her words into consideration. Before she could say something further, the teen, seemingly making up his mind, punched in her seal in the required slot before typing in the code for the jelly drink at the left. 

“Good choice.”

However, the blond wasn’t done. 

When the drink had been deposited, he immediately punched in another code.

“Hey! I was kind of joking! You’re wasting my—“ 

Her words of indignation fell on deaf ears. She had tried her hardest to be quick and to stop him from pushing in the final button to complete his order, but he had somehow eluded her advances. Just like the first drink, the next beverage was deposited and was soon swept up in Hacker’s arms.

“It’s not wasting money if it’s for a good cause. Here.” 

The young woman blinked and found herself holding one of the jelly drinks. It was covered in light pink packaging, the contents of which boasted a strawberry flavor that was guaranteed to have no preservatives or any special additives. The mascot of this particular brand smiled merrily at her, joyfully jumping up so that the buyer could see just how happy the product was. 

She cast a glance at Hacker’s own beverage and with a start, realized that it was a light blue in color. Well, if that wasn’t the mother of all coincidences, then she didn’t know what was. 

“And what’s this for?” She opened the drink and slowly took a sip, relishing in a flavor that was simultaneously too sweet and overwhelmingly artificial. Her taste buds were overwhelmed, but her brain became brimming with gratefulness and the desire to have more. So she took another sip. “Don’t tell me all Akudama are as kind as you.”

“They’re not.” He popped open his beverage and raised it to his mouth, but before he could take a drink, he muttered, “Consider this a parting gift.”

She blinked. “Leaving so soon? What about my seal?”

“So stubborn,” Hacker muttered irritably, but the smile on his face said otherwise. “You know, you always were stubborn. A true swindler no matter your status in Kansai.”

An angered retort was on the tip of her tongue, but she found herself swallowing them whole. 

“Do you… do you know me?”

Hacker shrugged. “In another lifetime, I guess you could say.” He savored the flavor of his jelly drink before looking pointedly at her. “Isn’t it customary for the recipient to enjoy their gift?”

The young woman started for a moment, before turning back to her drink and taking a sip.

“I still want my seal.”

He rolled his eyes, but did as he was bid. 

“Thanks. Now—“ She focused her dark gaze onto the teen, a question in her eyes. 

Hacker knew that he couldn’t answer. 

Not when she didn’t have her memories and when he knew that she wasn’t the Swindler.

She wasn’t the Swindler, but she could have easily been. 

Thoughts about meeting her before the heist, possibly before he became an Akudama crossed his mind. It seemed like a wasted effort to think about things that couldn’t be changed, but… He was god of the simulation, wasn’t he? He could do whatever he wanted. 

Anything to stave off the boredom.

For now, however, he turned to the woman who would be Swindler and gave her a soft smile.

A smile that he had only shown her once before boarding the  _ Shinkansen _ for Kansai. 

And that answer to that stupid riddle, to the problem that was all too easily solved if he had included Courier into the equation as was originally planned, became clear.

The young woman must have realized it at the same time because suddenly, her dark eyes suddenly widened. 

“H-Hacker,” she whispered. 

Uncharacteristically of him, Hacker nodded his head, his face already too soft and too kind from his knowledge of the impending inevitblity of leaving. 

And then, without much thought, she dropped her jelly drink—such a waste of money!—and began to embrace him around the shoulders. Her arms wound around about him like a snake, so tight and all encompassing was her hug. Her eyes filled with tears as she finally processed who was talking to her all this time.

On the other hand, the blond found himself unable to move. It had been a while since someone had decided to engage in physical contact with him, much less one with such benign, even friendly intent. 

Like many things about Swindler, it felt nice. 

“Consider this another parting gift,” he muttered into her hold. She stiffened and pulled back a few inches so that she could send him a questioning glance. 

“Look—“ He pointed at himself and at their surroundings. The simulation was already coming to an end—their bodies were rapidly devolving into a series of ones and zeroes. It was a gradual change, but one that would exponentially increase as more time went on.

They didn’t have much time.

“It’s time for you to go back to the real world.” His smile grew brighter, even more genuine this time as he took in the alarmed look on her face. Her surprise was always so fascinating to watch. “We’ll see each other again…” He thought of his position within the simulation, how his physical body was lost to him. Forever. 

She must have seen right through him—literally and figuratively—but she nodded her head. 

Surprise ambushes must have been a secret forte of hers because she pulled him close again, her height pushing him to hide his face into her shoulder. 

“Stupid Hacker,” she muttered into his ear. “Don’t you know that parting gifts are only when you’re leaving for a long period of time? I’m going to see you again soon!”

Hacker simply nodded.

There was no use arguing against such a stubborn woman such as herself. 

So, did he solve the riddle that was Swindler? Perhaps, but not quite. 

However, it seems that not all games were meant to be played through the end. As he watched her consciousness finally disappear and flow back into her body, he readied his drones, eager to greet her once more.

  
  



End file.
